Warner Robins man guilty of murder in teen’s shooting death

PERRY -- After deliberating less than three hours, a Houston County jury found a Warner Robins man guilty of murdering a 19-year-old behind a burned out building at a Warner Robins apartment complex.

Marquis Torez Lowe, 27, of Warner Robins, showed no emotion as the foreman read the verdict of guilty on all counts of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated battery, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime.

Trey Lorenz Dinkins, 20, of Warner Robins, is accused with Lowe of murdering Dajohn Milton on his birthday, March 20, 2011, behind the burned out building at the Cedar Pointe Apartment complex off Ignico Drive. Dinkins is expected to be tried at a later date.

Family members of Milton filled a row of the Houston County Superior Court courtroom for the duration of the trial. Some cried at the verdict. One whispered thanks to God.

Houston County prosecutor Daniel P. Bibler said afterward that he was very pleased with the verdict. He said the evidence was strong, and jurors paid close attention.

Russell K. Walker, a Perry attorney representing Lowe, said, “I’m not happy with the verdict, but that’s how the system works.”

Lowe did not take the stand before the defense rested its case Thursday morning.

In closing arguments, Bibler argued that Lowe was an active participant in the slaying. Walker countered that guilt by association was not enough to convict Lowe of murder. Lowe and Dinkins are good friends.

Bibler told jurors he does not know why Milton was murdered by Lowe and Dinkins. Blaine Arnold, a jailhouse witness, told jurors earlier in the trial that Lowe told him Milton was set up to be robbed of some marijuana, but it didn’t go as planned.

Arnold testified that Lowe told him that after Dinkins shot Milton, Milton was still alive. So Lowe grabbed the gun from Dinkins and shot Milton.

Debarah Davidson, 48, testified Tuesday that she saw a man standing behind the burned-out building with a gun pointed down. The man fired three or four shots, then walked away and then came back and unloaded the weapon. She saw the man and another man walk away.

Davidson told jurors she couldn’t identify the shooter or the second man. She also testified that she didn’t know what the shooter was firing at until after the men had left and she went to see. Davidson also testified that Milton told her “Trey Deuce” had shot him. Trey Deuce is Dinkins’ street name.

At one point in closing arguments, Bibler said it was Lowe who shot Milton and walked away and then returned to finish the job. Bibler declined to comment after the verdict on the facts of the case, citing Dinkins’ pending trial.

Walker told jurors that prosecution witnesses were not able to identify Lowe as one of the two men involved in the shooting, hiding of the murder weapon and another gun, and the later attempted retrieval of the weapons and a lost cell phone.

Bibler argued that a prepaid disposable cell phone found at the murder scene belonged to Lowe. But Walker argued that the cell phone had Lowe’s contact information in it for his alias, which Walker said common sense would indicate the phone did not belong to Lowe.

Milton called the phone found at the murder scene from a friend’s cell phone shortly before he was slain.

Lowe is expected to be sentenced at 10:30 a.m. Friday before Judge Katherine K. Lumsden, who presided over the trial.

Dinkins pleaded not guilty at his arraignment, with his trial on the court calendar for March.

“This is not his day in court,” said Jonathan P. Waters, a Macon attorney representing Dinkins. “He’ll get his day in court.”

To contact writer Becky Purser, call 256-9559.

This story was originally published February 10, 2012 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Warner Robins man guilty of murder in teen’s shooting death."